Wells headed for Baca wildlife refuge

Posted by egable on January 21st, 2008 filed in Energy development, Wildlife refuges

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to allow Toronto-based Lexam Energy Exploration to drill two test wells in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge in the San Luis Valley. The agency determined that drilling the wells would result in “reduction or alteration of habitat, habitat fragmentation, and animal displacement.” But the agency is powerless to stop the company’s drilling plans because Lexam owned mineral rights to the area prior to its establishment as a refuge. The agency is accepting public comments on its draft environmental assessment until March 2.